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Action Learning Solves Major Problems in
Personal, Professional and Organization Development

Leveraging the Power of Peers

Several major problems persist in training and
development today. Many of these problems persist because of our own myths
about training and development. Other problems persist because of issues among
us trainers and developers.

Our peer learning services are
based on the processes of Action Learning and on personal and
professional coaching. The processes burst through these myths
and problems, making training and development much more real
and long-lasting!

How often do we hear of organizations
that implement development programs in which participants only
have to attend training sessions -- no accountability for implementation
and learning required! If people are truly serious about developing
skills, they need to put in more practice and effort than that.

Problem #2: Learners rarely apply materials
from training sessions.

It's often difficult -- and rare
indeed -- for learners to later transfer learning from training
sessions (courses, seminars and workshops) over to their lives
and work. Training methods rarely incorporate real-life, current
challenges in the lives of learners. Therefore, learners are
left on their own to later apply new concepts from the many books
and binders gained during the training sessions.

Few major challenges in life
or work are addressed by some specific procedure conveyed during
a training session. Rather, learners get stuck because of strong
misperceptions, feelings or structural problems. Getting unstuck
requires ongoing support, reflection and testing of new methods
on current, real-life challenges. This ongoing support, reflection
and testing in real-life are seldom included in traditional training
sessions.

Problem #4: Trainers don't plan for ongoing
support among learners.

Few training programs recognize
that learners very often need ongoing support to take the risks
necessary to apply new information and materials from training
sessions. At the end of a course, seminar or workshop, learners
are left on their own.

Problem #5: Learners are more cynical than
ever about training and development.

Trainers and practitioners continue
to ignore this major issue. To deal with cynicism, people must
have a forum in which to vent, to be authentic. Training programs
rarely afford that forum.

The price of education, including
training and development, is skyrocketing, while creating a social
crisis that leaves many businesses and their employees unable
to access traditional means to education, training and development.

For a more scholarly overview
of each of the above problems, read the following document written
by Authenticity Consulting, LLC's, co-founder Carter McNamara.
(The article is on the Leaders Circles(sm) web page.
Leaders Circles is a national Action Learning-based program designed
for charitable nonprofits by Dr. McNamara.)

"Given that effective practitioners invariably
do better
with a few basic ideas that touch a powerful nerve
than with subtle and complex ideas that do not ..."-- John Morris, Action Learning writer,
in "Action Learning in Practice"

Breakthroughs
Slow to Come Because of Our Myths

The above problems continue to
persist because of our own myths about training and development.
When people struggle to accept the simple power of Action Learning,
it's often because of some or all of the following myths.

Myth #1: Training is more
powerful if it's packed with materials.

Wrong! How many of us have brought
home numerous, glossy books and binders from training sessions,
only to leave them untouched on our shelves?

Myth #2: Training is more powerful
if it's based on the latest "innovations".Wrong! Too often, the
latest innovation is just "old wine in new skins".
The real truths from which we learn in life have been around
forever.

Myth #3: Training is more
powerful if it's more complex!

Wrong! Quite often, people struggle
because they can't consistently apply the basics, not because
they don't understand, for example, "bifurcations in chaos
theory"!

Myth #4: Training is more
powerful if it's from the mouths of gurus!

Wrong! People working in the
day-to-day realities of organizations can have at least as much
wisdom as educators, researchers and writers.

Myth #5: Training is more
powerful if it's more expensive!

Wrong! Too often, we mistakenly
equate high prices with high quality. This is the myth of "executive-level"
pricing.

"Resolve, then, that on this very ground,
with small flags waving and tiny blasts of tiny trumpets, we
shall meet the enemy,
and not only may he be ours, he may be us.""-- Pogo in "Pogo Papers"

Breakthroughs
Slow to Come Because of Issues Among Us Trainers and Developers

Issue #1: We prefer our models
to be novel, complex and from the latest guru.

Too often, we assume that models
(for example, in leadership, coaching and training) are truly
powerful only if the models seem novel, complex and conveyed
by the latest guru. Instead, natural and real development comes
from natural and real practices in life. True development comes
from this 'simplicity on the other side of complexity'. Authenticity
Consulting always keep focus on this simplicity which is accessible
to us all.

Issue #2: In our fascination
with the complex, we forget the critical basics.

If we leaders and practitioners
are to help accomplish what we envision for the world, then we'd
better focus a lot more on the real 20% that generates 80% of
the results -- and we'd better focus on making that 20% a lot
more accessible to a lot more people.

Perhaps, rather than trying to
improve development by creating yet more slogans and models,
we should leverage more learning by a) ensuring learners have
mastered the 20% that generates 80% of results, b) helping learners
to really learn from each other, and c) helping learners to be
more accountable to actually apply new information and materials
from training and development. Authenticity Consulting always
keeps focus on these three goals.

We practitioners assert that
our learners really must do more to think out-of-the-box. Yet
we practitioners use primarily the same limited approaches, such
as one-shot training and one-on-one coaching sessions.

Research indicates that adults
learn best when they continue to apply new learning to current
challenges and exchange ongoing feedback with others. Are these
practices supported by one-shot training and one-on-one coaching
sessions? No.